• City Council Meeting: April 2020

Well, that was a first. The meeting was held through the video meeting app called Zoom. Mayor Dusting Nigg was the only council member in the actual council chambers and the other four of us, and most of the staff, were present by way of two way video.

The view from my monitor.

Considering that there were no presentations, only a couple of public comments on non agenda items, which were read into the record by the Mayor, and it appeared to be a light agenda at first blush... I was surprised how long it lasted. 

TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING

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• Many commercial restrictions have been relaxed to help our local businesses.
• Discussion of whether to have the Wildomar mayor elected at large, instead of on a yearly rotational basis.
• Joseph Morabito declared his candidacy, and asked his fellow council members to endorse him if the mayor at large option goes forward. 

3.1 FY 2019-20 3rd Quarter Budget Report 
(16:10 mark in the video)
It's far too soon to tell, but my humble prediction is that the fallout from the Covid19 restrictions on business will have a long lasting effect. Not only on local businesses and the employees of such, but on the city's budget too, which relies heavily on sales tax (about a 20% to 25% chunk of it).

3.2 Suspension of Certain Enforcement Activities to Address COVID-19 Crisis
(29:25 mark in the video below)
Some of this made sense, and other parts didn't make sense. I was against this the way it was originally presented. It relaxed many things that, in my opinion, had ZERO to do with the current Covid19 crisis and shouldn't have been attached to it. 

Things like suspending the new guidelines on temporary banners, which also included allowing the developer billboards seen all over town, for developments NOT in Wildomar mind you, to remain up.

There are several such examples of this throughout the city.

 Also, for some inexplicable reason, project site signs (see image for example) were going to be omitted during the self isolation period too.

This sign is 100% more effective in letting the community know about a project that will be coming to the planning commission, or city council, than 1000 emails that get deleted before being opened. These signs only came about a handful of years ago, and have been greatly appreciated. Yes, they cost the applicant money. I heard they're near $500 to have put up, and that could be a hit they take twice if they have multiple meetings, but if the price tag is the problem, looks like we need a new vendor to put them together. 

There is a streamlined way for businesses to put up a temporary banner letting the public know that you're open for business during these Covid19 times. The permits are free so if you need this, contact city hall and take advantage of it. 

Another thing that was thrown in there was suspending the newly enacted rules about storing your RVs/boats/trailers in the street.

If you need to quarantine, and you have an RV, we all get it and wish you well. There will be no restrictions on such things. However, on the other hand, those of you that think the street is an extension of your backyard, and you can park your eyesore anywhere you damn well please... it's on. 

That's still not ok!

Your rights to park your monstrosity end where your driveway ends. Have some respect for others and store it properly... which is NOT in the street, or hanging over into the sidewalk.

A modified version of this item passed 5-0. 

Removed from the original were the developer billboards, project site signs, most temporary banners (especially the ones that have long since faded and turned to threads, but the business owner cares so little that they leave them up anyway), and reined in the time the suspensions were to be in place to that of 30 days after the city's state of emergency is declared over.

Wildomar Rap opinion time

I understand the sentiment in coming up with the suspension of those items, we all feel somewhat helpless and want to show that we're doing everything we can to mitigate the real economic pain that is hitting much of our community, but the measures that were first suggested were NOT things that I agreed with.

I want to point to this item as a model of how things should be done in Sacramento and in DC. 

This item came full of things that I wasn't in favor of. I'd say that is also true for other members of the council too. 

We discussed it, we mulled it over a bit, and we compromised. The final wording isn't 100% the way I would have made it, but the same is true for each member. Give and take, aka "compromise" is the way to get things done. 

3.3 COVID-19 Update
(1:08:20 mark in the video)
This was a rather lengthy item, with updates from several departments. It was all interesting, but if you've been paying attention, you already know most of it. If you haven't been paying attention, they you probably have already stopped reading this far down in the blog. I suggest that you watch the video for the full item.

3.4 Directly Elected At Large Mayor 
(1:48:30 mark in the video below)
This was probably my favorite part. First, this came about from the January meeting's "future agenda items" segment. At that meeting, Mayor Nigg asked that we discuss the merits of an at large mayor, along with city council districts instead of five.

I love discussions and I came prepared with several paragraphs of concerns. You can read them below, or cue up the video for them as I read them at the meeting.

Item 3.4 Directly Elected Mayor at Large

Like with many other topics I see both good things and bad things in this item.

Let’s start with the good. It would allow residents a chance to vote for TWO members of the city council instead of just one.

That is a good thing.

It would also allow for continuity that doesn’t get interrupted year after year by rotating the position, which requires at least weeks, if not months to readjust to.

The negative aspects of this include getting a mayor that is in over their head or, possibly worse, one that becomes headstrong.

Those are things that would have to be endured for four years instead of the remainder of a given year. I believe it would be less likely for a Mayor in a rotational system to start thinking they’re above the council… and if the mayor isn’t really up to snuff, their time in that position would also be limited.

Like most things in our city, this is something that, if pursued, needs to be done reflecting the will of the people.

For me to vote in favor of this, we would need to agree to hold at least one special meeting.

Perhaps a workshop where all five members of the council attend, but being a less formal meeting than a city council meeting where people could freely express their thoughts and views, and ultimately having it end up on the ballot.

As an aside, I won’t be in favor of spending any amount of money on a survey that is looking to divine what the voters might think about it.

A serious concern when it comes to electing a mayor at large is which year will the election be in?

In most cases, we can expect at least one of the candidates for mayor to be a sitting city council member, which would then create issues of fairness to consider.

If It’s in a presidential year, such as this year, that would put council members from districts 2 and 4 at a disadvantage. If it were in an off year, that would put council members from districts 1, 3 and 5 in a bad position if they chose to run for mayor.

I came up with three suggestions to consider.

First, a “resign to run” mandate. If you want to run for mayor, you need to resign your seat first if it isn’t already up at that election, and no running for both mayor and a seat on the council at the same time.

Second option, make it a two year term similar to a member of the state assembly or a member of the US Congress.

Third, Though it would cost more, put the election either in an odd numbered year or make it during the primary instead of the general election.

However, if this does go forward, I’d like to announce my candidacy for Mayor of Wildomar now, and I’m looking for endorsements from my colleagues on the city council… Who can I count on? All of you?

Side note: Though my declaration of running for Wildomar mayor was somewhat tongue in cheek, I was serious. I'll be running for that seat if it gets established.

This wasn't a formal topic requiring a traditional motion, second and vote. This was just to let staff know whether to keep working on it or not. This passed 4-1 with me being the lone no vote.

I'm all in favor of further discussion, but only AFTER the public gets brought into it... and I was against spending any additional money or staff time on it, but I was overruled. 

It was going to be 3-2 to spend up to $10,000 on this, but once it was obviously going to pass, the second "no" vote change to a yes. If you want specifics (like who voted which way) watch the video below. 

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"The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."
– Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935)

Wildomar Rap prefers to hang out with people that don't make a habit of swinging their fists about in the first place. Come on Ollie, shake yourself!

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• City Council Meeting July 2019

There were three key items that came from the July city council meeting.  

2.1 Faith Bible Church
The general plan amendment from commercial office and medium density housing to commercial retail was approved by the city council 5-0.

The blue star denotes the location of the project.

This allows Faith Bible Church, not to be confused with Wildomar's Faith Baptist Church, to take the next step in building their church.

It's visible from the freeway, about halfway between Clinton Keith and Baxter on the east side of the freeway, just north of the Hartford Park community. Access will be from Depasquale Road, which starts at George Rd (shortly to be changed to Wildomar Trail).

Still shot from an animated visual of the future campus.

I didn't see any serious opposition to the project, and the residents from Hartford Park are said to be in favor of it... one added bonus to a church being on that land is that it can no longer serve as an illegal offroad park. (I can't wait until Baxter Village gets underway, if for no other reason than to take that "motocross park" off the list too.)

They are hoping to get through the permitting process by December/January, begin construction in 2020 with a grand opening for phase one in late 2020 or early 2021.

This item begins at the 1:03:00 mark of the video below.

2.3 Urgency Ordinance Regarding Tobacco Retailing

This still has some moving parts to it (which is a fancy way of saying I can't talk too much about it) so I'll just report the final resolution. The urgency ordinance was extended another ten months and forty-five days, for a total of a year if need be. 

A carve out was added to the ordinance which would allow other such tobacco retailing businesses (including the applicants here at a different location) to open in the city as long as they're a minimum of 600 feet from a public or private school. The final details of the ordinance will be hammered out over the next several months.

Opinion Time

None of the members on city council have a problem with this type of legal business. The problem has always been the extreme proximity to Wildomar Elementary. 

I was sorry to hear the story of the young entrepreneurial partners that one moment were getting ready to go into business, and the next moment see the city breathing down their necks.

They seemed like the type of eager businessmen we'd love to have in town, just not 150 feet from the school. The city will be working with them in efforts to untangle this mess... but the old Jolie Day Spa will NOT become a smoke shop. Hopefully they'll be able to find another location in town.

This item begins at the 1:45:40 mark of the video below.

3.3 Establishment of the Sign Code Update

Ben Benoit and Joseph Morabito were chosen to be on an Ad Hoc subcommittee to help guide staff in the creation of a sign ordinance. (I want to hear your opinions on the topic)

Again, keeping the Brown Act in mind (not being able to say much at this point) we're looking to improve the quality of life and the community in Wildomar. Over the past several years signage has gotten out of control here, both with random signs in the right of way, and even banners hanging on buildings.

You can see how signs multiply like rabbits when left unchecked.

I look forward to working with Ben, Planning Director Matt Bassi and our new Economic Development Director Kimberly Davidson on this matter. We'll be looking to balance the needs of the business with the needs of the community at large. 

One suggestion, if any of those rogue signs are yours why not cut out the middleman and take them down without being told to? 

Of course there was a whole lot more to the meeting, but I ran out of time this week and have to stop here. I invite you to watch the entire meeting in the video below. 

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No one is served by speculation in the absence of facts
– Brian Whitman

Wildomar Rap isn't on a first name basis with speculation, and that's a fact.

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• Planning Commission Meeting July 2016

This meeting only had two items on the agenda. Both were dealing with zoning ordinances.

2.1 Dealt with Micro-Craft Breweries

The amendment to the existing zoning will allow up to 15,000 barrels to be produced per year for a type 23 ABC license and 5,000 BPY for a type 75 ABC lic.

This applies to "consumption on site" types of businesses, not breweries looking to sell to the mass market.

Ken Mayes spoke on this topic. His concerns were about water use, though he started off by reading some history about the town's founders' desire to make Wildomar a perpetual dry area in the years leading up to Prohibition. 

So much for attempting to control others after your days are over.

"What's the benefit to the community of producing a product that will use imported water, imported ingredients —as barley and hops are no longer local crops, there's nothing unique about any beer that can be produced here. They could all be brewed somewhere where there's plentiful water, and sold in any bar."
—KM

Let me step in here Kenny. 

We can certainly extend that same logic to everything. Why have anything in Wildomar when we can easily drive to a neighboring city to purchase goods and services?

He then mentioned that the water consumption of a micro-brewery is akin to a laundromat, and how we don't even have a laundromat. 

When it was the commission's turn to chime in, Stan Smith suggested, "About the laundromat, what if we had a micro-brewery in the laundromat? While you washed your clothes you could drink beer."

That sounds like a great new business

And while I'm in creative mode, allow me to suggest that one of the signature beers be called Dos Jotos with the following 'commercial' produced in 2009.

Planning director Matt Bassi was asked if there were any applicants considering opening a micro-brewery at this time, and his answer was, "Officially no, but they're coming."

Before voting 3-0 to approve this, Commissioner Stan Smith shared a tender story with those in attendance. 

"That reminds me of a story that a lady had written to her sons that their father had died. She said, that he had worked at the local brewery and he had fallen into the mix and drowned. They tried repeatedly to pull him out and he kept fighting them off."

2.2 Sign Regulations
This one was one of those that ended on a double negative.

The "yes" vote was to "not" recommend that the council approve the amendment, with the vote going 2-1 (Langworthy and Lloyd against the amendment and Smith for it).

This will still be going to the council where I'm betting that they will override the Planning Commission's recommendation (or lack thereof).

It potentially affects any business center within 600 feet of the freeway. Walmart has already said they aren't interested in such an LED sign.

If this zoning ordinance amendment is approved by the council, it would allow existing places (like Stater Bros or Albertson's) to consider installing such a sign too.

Specifically mentioned was the soon to come Wildomar Square, wanting to put in a sign that has a 200sf LED board in its freeway sign.

Artist's rendition of sign, with a mockup of what it would look like at night.

I'm no fan of billboards, but this is just a sign and hardly different than the one that Stater Bros has on the northwest side of Clinton Keith. The only difference is that the LED portion of it allows for a changeable image.

This was amended to change the dark period to 9:30pm-6:30am.

Having this sign display Amber Alerts was mentioned as were community messages, though that wasn't elaborated on. 

I'm wondering if such "community messages" would include info about coming city/parks events like the one below?

Planning Director Report
Matt Bassi mentioned several items of interest.

• Office building on Clinton Keith and Palomar is under reconstruction/remodeling. It's new name is to be "The Barn."
• Wildomar Square moving forward with 4 of the 8 buildings nearing construction approval.
• Lennar/Briarwood project on Prielipp and Elizabeth is moving ahead. 50% of the homes have already been sold.
• Griffin Homes in The Farm have complete 2 of 4 phases.
• Richmond America on Palomar (Chaparral at The Ranch) has models finished.
• The Grove Park development has had interest from a commercial broker (Yamas and Clinton Keith).
• Among several other things in the early stages.

•        •        •

If anyone, anywhere, at any time, commits a wrong, and we condone it or refuse to speak out against it, we truly become a silent partner.

—E.G. Marshall, CBSRMT 

Wildomar Rap tip of the day: When you find yourself befuddled by the words of a bien pensant, just keep moving and don't make a scene. 

• Feather Banners Beware or Notes on the Planning Commission Meeting

Tonight's planning commission meeting had no "General Business" just changes to zoning ordinances.

2.1 on the agenda took the longest time. It was relating to temporary banners for commercial, office and industrial zones. Things like Grand Opening banners, temporary banners, promotional banners and special event banners... "feather banners" were discussed too.

Examples of various "feather banners". 

After about 40 mins of discussion, the commission adopted (5-0) the resolution that also will ban inflatables like:

Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Men 

and giant blue gorillas.

2.3 on the agenda was also about signage. This time about large signs along the freeway. After a bit of wrangling the resolution was passed 4-1 with Commissioner Langworthy being the only no vote. She thought that signs should be allowed to be as high as the highest one in town (current record holder is 71 feet tall). 

Check out the agenda for more details by clicking here. 

After the meeting I asked Planner Director Matt Bassi about the signs on the fence at the Monte Vista shopping center, which had been discussed earlier. Once the city council adopts 2.1 of tonight's agenda, the signs/banners on that fence would become illegal. Sorry, but that fence is horrible looking with all those banners draped all over. 

Thing is, as local resident Kathy Bundy asked about code enforcement during the meeting, all these ordinances will mean little since there is minimal code enforcement for such things in Wildomar. Also, I've run into a ton of resistance when it comes to code enforcement in this town. So I doubt we actually will have the will to follow through even once these zoning ordinance amendments are adopted by the full council... but I can always hope.

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So, at a previous city meeting, the issue of light pollution came up, and my good friend Sheila Urlaub mentioned the new Shell gas station sign during the public comments, and asked if it was compliant since —it looked like a big bug catcher glowing so brightly at night. If you look at the sign in the daytime, it's just a very tall sign. At night however, there are many empty slots that were not covered, and therefore emit great amounts of light at night.

Before the meeting Assistant Planner, and all around good guy, Alfredo Garcia told me that they checked it out and the owner opted to shut it off at night until they can update it. Too bad they didn't think of the light spilling out while they were installing it. 

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